A couple of decades ago I graduated from high school and went off to college. I had a straight path in mind regarding what I was going to do with my life. I had intended on finishing a pre-seminary degree from a little private college I was attending. I would then attend seminary, which I had already picked out before arriving at college. At the end of my first semester, I found that the ancient language requirements to complete my degree were not going to be something I was going to manage (I squeaked through Biblical Greek with a very low D.) I had assumed that the door to Seminary and the work I wanted to do was closed at that point. My long held plan gone, I changed my major a couple of times trying to find what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Eventually, I decided to go into radio production and finished my BA with a communications degree (double majored in Philosophy). My last semester in school, I interned at a radio station and discovered that I hated the work. I spent 15 years working in ministry related fields, which was my passion before finally arriving in the work that I had always intended on doing. I am thankful that I ended up detouring and waiting to go to seminary until my 30s because I was more mature and handled the coursework better. Also, I have found that the life experience I acquired along the way has made all the difference in the world. I am a better person and a better pastor because of my ten plus year life detour. I was encouraged to write a column this week with advice for the graduating seniors. I’ve spent the week mulling over what advice I had to offer. In the end I have this: “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.“ (Proverbs 16:9) We may know what we want to do in life and set out to get there. Some folks finish school and have no idea what will come next. Either way, our steps are ordered before us, and we will arrive where God intends us to go if we trust Him and look for His direction. This may mean that we finish school and discover our intended line of work is not for us or life may throw us a curve ball and send us in a different direction than we ever thought we’d go. History is full of examples of folks who set out to do one thing, only to have God turn their path. The great thing about the steps that follow graduation from high school is that they are the beginning of the adventure where you get to set your own path, make your own choices, and build your own life. There are folks who are lucky enough to do what they intended to do from the start. For many of us, the pathway twists and turns and only God knows where it will end up. Trusting Him is the key to enjoying the journey along the way.. I’m not saying that you will definitely get your wildest dreams granted. Rather, I am saying that God will bring you where you belong. There will be hard work to finish to get there and a lot of it might be dull. However, the journey itself is a gift that will grow you and prepare you. Enjoy it and make the most of the opportunities.
